• Kenya loses about $1.5 billion each year to corruption, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB).
• President William Ruto approved the creation of a new Inter-Ministerial Anti-Corruption Task Force (MAT) on August 18, 2025.
• Kenya ranks 121st globally on Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, scoring 32/100.

Kenya loses an estimated $1.5 billion each year to corruption, according to the African Development Bank (AfDB). In response, President William Ruto on August 18, 2025, approved the creation of an Inter-Ministerial Anti-Corruption Task Force (MAT) to step up the fight against graft and economic crimes.

The new body will coordinate efforts across institutions battling corruption and financial offenses. A presidential statement said the Executive will chair the task force, while the Office of the Attorney General will act as its secretariat.

Members include the National Intelligence Service, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Kenya Revenue Authority, the Central Bank of Kenya, and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority. Other agencies may join when necessary.

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— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) August 19, 2025

The new task force will focus on strengthening inter-agency cooperation, engaging public and private actors, mobilizing resources, exchanging best practices, publishing results, and working with international partners to recover illicit assets.

Funding will come from the budgets of participating institutions, with possible additional sources, the presidency said.

Kenya continues to face entrenched corruption. Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked the country 121st worldwide with a score of 32 out of 100, up slightly from 126th and 31 points the year before.

The African Development Bank estimates Kenya loses $1.5 billion each year through corruption, illicit financial flows, and wasteful public spending—money that could finance health, education, infrastructure, and poverty reduction.

Charlène N’dimon